BRADFORD, Maine — A farmhouse on Wilder David Road was heavily damaged Tuesday in a fire caused by a lightning strike, according to Bradford Fire Chief Dusty Kelley.
Kelley said the fire at the home of Robert and Brenda Mowdy at 187 Wilder Davis Road was reported shortly after 4 a.m.
Brenda Mowdy was alone at home when she was awakened by the lightning strike, Kelley said. After she investigated and didn’t immediately find any sign of a problem, Mowdy went back to bed, he said.
After Mowdy was awakened by her dog and alerted to the fire shortly afterward, she and the dog escaped to safety and called for help, Kelley said.
When fire crews arrived, the fire had gotten into the walls of the farmhouse and was making its way into dead space at the roof.
Kelley said Tuesday evening that the fire proved a stubborn one to extinguish — largely because the farmhouse, which had an attached ell and barn, had been expanded and renovated several times and because of Tuesday’s hot and humid weather.
To that end, he said, crews from at least a dozen area departments were called in to make sure there were enough firefighters on hand to rotate in and out of the action. Some firefighters remained at the scene until nearly 5:30 p.m., Kelley said.
A few of those who fought the fire suffered minor heat-related problems but none required a trip to the hospital, Kelley said.
Kelley said that the homeowners had several offers of a place to stay. The farmhouse, which had extensive damage, and the ell and barn, parts of which also were damaged, were not insured, he said.